Destiny
by Goddess Usagi
Summary: A series of short oneshots centered around Bella and Edward and the inevitability of their relationship. Told from Alice's perspective and first person. AU.
1. Curse

* * *

**Curse.**

* * *

Even before I met him, I knew that the future, any future, of the bronze-haired boy was intertwined with that of the pale-faced girl, the young woman with the chocolate brown tendrils caressing her face, her lips always curled happily into an up-turned crescent moon. 

This gift of mine was often a curse, haunting me with the could-have-beens, the should-have-beens, the missed opportunities and the lost moments. But when it came to the boy with the green-turned-topaz eyes, and the girl with the heart-shaped face, there was only ever one outcome.

They met, time and time and time again, it was inevitable, and it always made worlds move when it did. I could always see the look of shock in his eyes as he took her in, sometimes because he had inhaled that mouth-watering freesia scent which was just _so_ her, but more often because she gave him that full-hearted smile, the one that captured him. Every. Single. Time.

I had seen so many things, but my visions of this boy and girl were almost as powerful of those controlled by the brooding blonde-haired man – Jasper. He was coming for me, though he didn't even know it yet, just like the bronze-haired boy searched for her, the girl with the intoxicating scent, the girl with the warm brown eyes and hair, the girl whose name, in every single universe, was always Bella Swan.

And she was destined to be my sister. Just as surely as the boy with the topaz eyes was to become my brother. It was fate. I had seen it, oh, so many times, that I did not doubt their arrival in my life, that I could not doubt their arrival in each others lives.

That arrival was always a moment of pure bliss, for both of them, a brief moment, less than a second, and it was always like coming home for them. There was nothing that could prevent Bella from finding her bronze-haired boy, her Edward. They were the one constant, the one love that was destined to happen in every single scenario. Not death, not life, not wives or husbands, not parents, nor sadness, nor any single one of the things which would usually divert the course of ones life could interfere with their love.

No matter what changed, whether she moved to a different country, whether he was alive or 'dead', they always managed to find each other. I watched the numerous changes in awe of the forces surrounding them. It was as though the universe itself wanted them, need them, to be together.

It was always destined.

And if there was one thing I was sure about, it was destiny.

* * *

**1918**

It was a dark day, a cold day, but otherwise a normal day for the middle of January. There was snow on, and beyond, the windows, and a large fire crackled from the fireplace, keeping the small room warm. The boy with the tousled hair sat at his battered upright piano, his fingers tracing the familiar keys. It was a hand-me-down, a present from an aunt who had hoped to encourage his musical skill. It was second-hand, not so much because his family was poor, which they were not, but because of the sentimental value. It did not matter that the F-sharp key, just above middle C, always stuck, holding the note for far too long and ruining the effect of the otherwise beautiful piece. Nor did it matter that the black vinyl was cracked and chipped. This was a remnant of his childhood and Edward Masen would not have traded it for the best piano in the world, though he did sometimes wonder what it would be like to play such a fine instrument.

A small smile traced his lips, tugging at the corners, begging to be released. But he had far too much control for it to be known that his greatest pleasure came from this simple piano. He knew that he would miss the comforting ebony and ivory keys if the politicians did as they were threatening and lowered the age of the draft to 18. He was not even seventeen yet, a few short months from the birthday which would bring him closer to his goal, but he would be proud to do his duty. To defend all they stood for against their enemy would be the greatest honour, he wanted to go and assist the Allied Forces. Edward knew his mother worried, though they had not discussed the possibility, he knew she was afraid of him going to war. Where he embraced it for the glory of war, she abhorred it – she could think of nothing worse than to lose her only son.

The sound of tinkling glass drew his attention to the kitchen, accompanied by swearing from the mouth of his usually decorous mother. Edward jumped from the stool and strode quickly down the hall, towards the sound, his gangly legs halting in the doorway, vivid green eyes assessing the destruction before him. That smile tugged at his lips again as he saw what had become of the final jar of sugar – it was scattered, the small crystals impossible to separate from the glittering shards of glass which were the remnants of the container. His mother glared down at the mess tainting her usually pristine tiled floor, two small hands clenched to her waist, a small frown creasing her forehead.

"Edward. Shop. Now," Elizabeth Masen ordered her son, one slender finger pointing in the direction of the front door as though it would make her meaning clearer. She needn't have bothered. He gave her a quirky smile as he strode forward and planted a soft kiss on her cheek, picking up a few coins on his way past.

"If you think that's going to make me forget that you stayed up all night playing that wretched piano, you'd be sorely mistaken. Shop. Now."

* * *

Bundled into his warmest winter cloak, a green scarf wrapped around his neck, Edward walked slowly towards the closest grocers, his attention easily drawn by the small flakes of snow falling onto the streets of his hometown. They alit in the most bizarre of places, his favourite being in-between the fingers of the small statues adorning some homes of this neighborhood. It seemed that no surface was to be left uncovered by the determined flakes. 

He was halfway down the second block, barely half a block from the store, when a strong wind tangled itself in his hair, obscuring his vision for the briefest moment. This brief moment was also enough for the impertinent wind to claim his poorly wrapped scarf. The streets were, understandably, empty, the freezing temperatures keeping the inhabitants of these luxurious homes within their brick walls, where they had strong fires to keep them warm. He watched helplessly for a moment as his scarf flew away from him on the strong breeze, before recovering his senses and bolting after it. The fabric took him on a three street chase before it alit on a wrought iron gate, weaving itself like a vice around the hand of a young girl and the latch she had just reached to open.

The wind had also claimed her long, unbound brown hair, curling it into its fingers, causing the tendrils to obscure her vision. She was unable to pull herself free from the rogue scarf, and Edward leapt forward to assist. His slender digits, inherited, like his eyes, from his mother, swiftly untangled the offending garment, freeing her hand once more. She drew the mass of her hair away from her face, tucking it beneath her own deep blue scarf, it's colour made to match her long dress. The brunette smiled up at him with warm brown eyes and took on of his hands in two of hers.

"Thank you, so very much, sir. I was quite afraid that I would never get my hand free! I do suppose that the whole predicament was as much my own fault as the wind's however – Mother did tell me to pin my hair up before going out, but I was in such haste…" her sincere voice trailed off, her hands falling to her waist, though she still continued to smile at him, rendered somewhat weak by the presence of this handsome man.

"It was my pleasure, after all it was my scarf which decided to secure you to this gate. Edward Masen, at your service," he bowed as he had been taught, like the polite young man he was expected to be, before taking one of those warm hands in his own cold one, half frozen by the cold.

"Oh no, where are my manners? My name is Isabella Swan, my family and I live here." She indicated the house beside us, whose gate and my scarf had left her in such a predicament. He kissed her hand and gave her a crooked smile, one which filled her simultaneously with happiness and fear.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Isabella Swan."

She blushed, and it was all he could do not to kiss her there and then, impropriety be damned.

* * *

It was ironic really. The one time they met each other in his youth, the one time the fates had conspired to have her born at the same time as him, they died. Leaving this Earth, one after the other, six months later, at the height of the Spanish Influenza. 

It was also the one time I did not see the blonde-haired Doctor, the man with the golden eyes, make him one of us. The one time, the one future, where I was left without a brother. The others of that reality would not know that we were missing one of our number, that was my curse to bear in that life, a side effect of this cursed gift. But that version of me felt their absence. I mourned as our futures diverged – all because his mother decided to let him leave this world peacefully, his fingers intertwined with those of his beloved fiancée. I watched them pass from this world to the next, and if I could have cried, I would have.

But that was only one of many possible futures, and it would not be the last I saw of the bronze haired boy and the blushing other half of his soul.

* * *

_Hello everyone,_

_I doubt that any of you are still out there, I know I've been gone for quite some time now. This is my second Twilight fic, and it'll be a series of short one-shots told either from Alice's perspective, or told in first person. Its a plot bunny that won't leave me alone. I don't know how often I'll be able to update this, as I have my big exams in a few weeks. But after that, I'll be completely re-writing the first chapter of Inversion, and continuing it. Also I'll be doing the sequel to To Save Her (if any of you care anymore) and possibly a few others :) I can't wait to get back into it, so I'll see you all in 6 weeks or so (if this plot bunny leaves me alone, which I doubt it will)_

_xx Usa  
_


	2. Mistake

* * *

**Mistake.**

* * *

It could easily be said that my visions were a curse rather than a gift, cruelly taunting me with images, with futures, which would never come to be true. I tried not to think about it that way, such thoughts made discerning the real from the fantasy so much harder. But, every so often, it crept in, slowly, quietly, polluting my mind. 

You know already that in every one of my visions I saw them together, that I saw them fall hard and fast for one another. But it was never easy for them after that first meeting. In some, his nature as a monstrous vampire and her sweet smelling human blood made for swift death on Bella's behalf. In others, he restrained himself long enough to fall for her further.

But, by far the most devastating events were those in which their love was forbidden, well and truly against all the rules. And those were not the rules defined by his unnatural existence.

* * *

**Bella Swan, 2006**

I did not know what had possessed me to say yes to Jacob's ridiculous offer. Renee had drilled it into me time and time again that smart girls do not get married as soon as they graduate; smart girls go to college, they find fulfilling careers, and then, only then, do they even consider getting married. But I was blinded, any intelligence obscured from the moment he got down on one knee in the middle of that crowded restaurant, looking so handsome with his russet skin against a crisp white shirt, his long dark hair pulled back and shining, held at the nape of his neck.

I hadn't faltered when he said those fateful words, or stuttered as I replied in a whispered affirmative. Nor had I stumbled when I reached forward with my left hand, kissing him gently as strong fingers pressed a simple diamond band onto my finger.

In retrospect, maybe it had all been too perfect. Charlie had been proud, excited even: he would finally have the son he had always wanted in Jacob. Finally, he and I both would have some tangible claim upon the boy I thought had captured my heart. Renee had not complained, nor chastised me. In fact, her only response had been a loud squeal that my father had heard from across the room:

"My baby's getting married!!!"

It was lucky that I knew my mother so well, because I knew to hold the phone away from my ear with precisely the right timing. I had only wondered once if this was the right thing, the real thing, but then my lips had been met with his and I only wondered why I had worried.

The wedding had gone off without a single hitch – I did not trip as I walked down the aisle towards my perfect man, who towered over me as I stood beside him at the altar. No one objected to our union, and our first dance as husband and wife was simple, elegant and traditional.

After our honeymoon and a year together in La Push (so Jake could finish school), we moved to Seattle, and both attended Washington State for the required four years. Returning to La Push, Jacob started a garage (which was a welcome relief to all those in Forks, who no longer had to use Dowling's overpriced services) and I out my state education to use working with the Quileute Elders on any number of local issues. The most serious was concerning the locals and the Forks Hospital – they had recently decided not to use the services provided for them, and they wouldn't tell me why. I was afraid there would be an accident soon, one where our local doctors could do little for the injured party – someone might die, the La Push boys were known for their risk taking.

I had thought Jacob was finished growing at 6'2', but I was soon proven wrong. We had barely been home for six months, and already he had outgrown three new pairs of trousers. He had also made new friends, no longer limited to just Quil and Embry, he had expanded out to Sam, Jared and Paul. I knew this was good for the both of us – with the boys often out in the garage or fishing, I had become quite close to Emily, Sam's wife. She was so beautiful, her perfect face framed by long dark hair, always shining in the light, warm brown eyes so welcoming and friendly. It was a relief to have a girl friend who wasn't overly focused on gossip, or so far away; these days it was hard to get away from work long enough to visit Angela or Jessica.

But I found time one day, a Wednesday evening which I was using to host my weekly 'make Charlie dinner' evening. I often felt guilty for leaving my father alone in Forks, once again fending for himself after years of my cooking and cleaning. Admittedly, it was partially my fault that Charlie had grown so dependant upon my presence, but I found myself missing his easy company, the wordless love and worry that emanated from him, as though he was making up for lost time after my mother had spirited me away when I was barely 6 months old.

We said goodbye early, but I wasn't yet ready to go home. I called Jacob and told him I was going to be later than planned, that I was going to go see a movie in Port Angeles with Angela. That was a lie of course, but I felt like a bit of time to myself, and really I hadn't lied – I was going to Port Angeles, and I was going to see a movie, did it really matter who with?

My battered old red truck only just made it into the city, and even that was on two tanks of gas. Jacob had offered me the use of his Volkswagen Rabbit, but I had foolishly declined, assuming that my night with Charlie would go for longer – of course I had forgotten that it was getting into the finals of the basketball. I parked my truck near the boardwalk, allowing myself a short walk to the cinemas so that I could enjoy the late summer breeze, even though the Washington definition of summer was more like the dead of Phoenix's winter.

The movie was fine, nothing exciting or even worthy of an Oscar, just an average film which managed somehow to make me feel comforted by its ordinariness. Stepping out onto the street, I wished I had brought my jacket, which was sitting alone on my passenger seat. I wrapped my arms about waist, trying to keep myself warm, eyes trained on the ground as I tried to avoid the curious gaze of passersby.

I don't know how it happened, especially in a city that I knew almost as well as La Push or Forks, but I managed to lose myself in the many dark and twisting alleyways. Hearing footsteps behind me, I hurried in a direction I assumed was south, praying that the footsteps were not following me. I walked faster, searching for a way out of the maze of brick and concrete, but only managed to confuse myself further.

And the footsteps began to ring louder in my ears.

It was getting hard to breathe, but I was afraid of taking a break. I knew that no wedding ring would stop predators such as those most likely following me. They were persistent. I turned another corner, only to find one of them in front of me. And two others to my left, blocking the only other possible escape. I choked back a horrified scream, looking desperate for any possible escape these men hadn't covered. One of them, clearly the leader, advanced on me, wrapping one arm about my waist and the other around my neck. His rough voice left a trail of hot air tainting my neck as he whispered in my ear:

"Don't even think of screaming sugar, there's no one to hear you. And you don't want to make us mad, now, do you?"

I didn't respond, so he gripped me tighter, painfully so:

"Do you, sugar? We don't want this to be any worse than it has to be, unless you like it rough?"

I could hear the smirk in his voice, that horrifying confidence, and shuddered against his too warm body, his sweaty hands uncomfortable against my neck. I shook my head in response, not trusting my voice to reply. His wet lips touched the side of my neck.

"Mmm, you smell so good. What's your name, girly?"

"B- Bella. Bella Black," I stuttered out, trying desperately to think of the ways I could escape this, this death-grip he had on me. I remembered that would be of no use though, his four friends were not here just to watch.

His strong arms span me around roughly, forcing my body towards him as he greedily claimed my lips. I tried to push myself away but I was too weak.

There was a light.

Headlights.

The man threw me off, and I landed on the ground solidly, one arm stretched out behind me to cushion my fall. I moaned as I heard the crack, and felt the pain shoot up from my right fingers to my elbow. I'd had enough breaks to know my wrist was definitely broken. By the time I looked up again, after cradling my injured arm to my body, I noticed the men were gone, their shouts audible down one of the alleyways.

They had been replaced by a single man, he looked about my age, maybe a little younger; it was hard to tell under the harsh streetlamps. He took one brief look at me, grimaced, bent down and scooped me up in his arms as though I were a rag doll. I gasped briefly, half in pain and half in shock, not even Jacob could pick me up so easily. The strange man with the bronze hair and golden eyes held me against his cool body, carrying me to his car – a shiny silver Volvo, hardly six feet away.

I knew I should have been scared, but there was an easy familiarity between us, and I felt as though I could trust him, don't ask me why. He had saved me from my attackers, and that was all that mattered. He opened the passenger door one handed, and laid me in the seat, buckling my seatbelt and closing it again. Then he was at his own door, opening and shutting it swiftly, buckling his own seatbelt and starting the ignition.

All without a single word.

I continued to cradle my arm against my chest, trying to ignore the pain which refused to go away. He seemed not to want to talk, but the silence was awkward and I felt a need to thank my unknown saviour.

"Um," my unwilling hum drew his attention to me, though he continued to drive effortlessly, "I just wanted to say… well, thank you for… for, um, that back there. I didn't think anyone would be coming to help me."

His slender white fingers clenched at the steering wheel.

"Distract me."

His voice was stressed, but even, with a rich timbre that drew me in swiftly.

"I'm sorry?"

"Distract me. I'm finding it very hard not to go back there and find those men and hurt them for what they did."

"Oh," my mouth was as wide as my eyes as I stared at him, "My name's Bella, Isabella Black. What's yours?" If my voice hadn't had that faint tone of panic, I'm sure my words would have sounded perfectly cordial.

He grinned at me, white teeth flashing in the darkness, "I know. My name's Edward Cullen."

I frowned at him, "You know? Huh, okay. How old are you, Edward?"

"Twenty three."

I frowned again, he could barely have passed for twenty one, but I had known boys my age who looked younger, so I was not about to argue. I felt the car pull over, and Edward got out, politely opening my door.

Figures. We were at the Forks Hospital, though I couldn't work out how we'd arrived so fast. I groaned audibly as I was carried into the emergency room, I had spent entirely too much time here in my youth. He placed me on a plastic waiting room chair and disappeared for a moment behind the counter, talking to a young blonde doctor who looked as though he had just finished filming the latest Hollywood blockbuster. Edward looked even more amazing in proper light, and I was amazed at how his hair seemed to sit so effortlessly, how his topaz eyes managed to convey so much emotion.

He returned with the blonde doctor, and took my good hand with one of his own. It was cold, but so comforting. I never wanted to let it go. He drew me into one of the consultation rooms with a swift kiss to my cheek, and only one horrible thought came to mind:

"_I guess my marriage is over then."_

* * *

Bella and Jacob were divorced less than two months later. I knew she was too much of an honest and kind person to continue torturing her husband in such a way when her true love had arrived. 

Edward wasn't so stubborn in that reality. He turned her less than four months later, after a hastily (Okay, I'd had it planned for a while, but I wasn't about to tell Edward that) planned wedding, and I had never seen such a perfect couple. Aside from myself and Jasper, of course.

We renewed the treaty with the werewolves, in that reality, after Bella was changed, so as to not cause any conflict. We co-existed peacefully, and Bella and Jacob were still friends, though he found it hard to be around her.

It was lucky then, that he imprinted on a nice Quileute girl, one he'd been friends with for years and never looked twice at.

After the initial rocky start, and end, to all those relationships, this was one of many futures where we all lived happily ever after. And for once, it really wasn't a cliché.

Some people call it a curse, but I'd rather call it a gift.

Bella still maintains that she should have listened to Renee, that marrying Jacob was a mistake. But she does not regret it, the weeks of sneaking around, of their love being literally forbidden, the heart-wrenching divorce – her marriage led her to Edward.

* * *

_Hello everyone!_

_I'm glad you're enjoying my story, you have no idea how much your words mean to me (like all authors I do seriously love reviews, and your reviews have been beautiful). I hope you enjoyed this one as much as the first one. I'm going to be trying to mix it around a bit, so they don't get same-y. This one is a result of RuledBySecrecy who said to me "You're not going to have Jacob them? thank goodness!" to which I replied "ooh look, a plot bunny!"_

_See you next time,  
xx Usa_


	3. Vanity

* * *

**Vanity.**

* * *

They danced about each other, the movements of one drawing the other in, pulling them closer. He would move to one city and it would never be long before she followed. I could never work out exactly how that happened, it was like an invisible connection that pulled them along, sometimes pushing them apart until they were the right age to meet.

You all know the most famous example, of course, it's the one that came reality. But did you know that this connection kept them on opposite sides of the country until Bella was the right age?

Why else do you think Renee moved from Forks, taking Bella with her to California first, then to Phoenix? They were the two key places that Edward could never really visit. Some of the realities even have Charlie and Renee still happily married, did you know that? It was just unfortunate, really, that this was the timeline that won. Most of the other ones were so much happier; admittedly not the ones I've shown you thus far, but most of them were.

So, destiny kept them apart until it decided they should meet. And that provided for a lot of extra possible futures. The only thing that was ever set was them finally meeting and falling in love. Everything else was fluid, ever-changing, and completely unpredictable. Unless you're me, of course.

* * *

It was Bella Swan's first day at Forks High School, and needless to say, she wasn't really enjoying all the attention that came with being "the New Girl". In fact, she would have been much happier to just blend in with the crowd, or hide herself away in the library til everyone got over the excitement.

As it was, she was slunk down in her chair in the cafeteria, already having put up with four classes worth of staring, introductions, and evil teachers who made her speak to the entire class. Her bright red blush seemed permanently glued to her cheeks, but did little to warn her new classmates against talking to her. They chattered incessantly at her, and each of my brothers and sisters could hear every annoying word.

Rosalie was, to say the very least, not amused. All her male admirers seemed to have turned their attention to the pretty newcomer, who was much more approachable than my sister. Also, she didn't have bruises under her eyes which made her look like she never slept. Her skin was creamy and pale, more natural than our white colour, with large warm brown eyes which matched her long straight hair. In fact, she had the attention of all those of the male sex having lunch, even my three brothers.

Of course, Jasper was looking at her like she was something to eat, he hadn't fed in almost three weeks, and that was hard time even for the most practiced of our kind, Carlisle. Emmett was slightly bemused by the horrified feeling on her face, the twitchy look in her eyes that showed him just how trapped she was feeling.

And Edward. Edward could not stop staring. He'd fed only yesterday (a half sunny, half cloudy day that all of us had taken off school), so his eyes were warm and the colour of butterscotch, trained only on this enigma of a girl with a confused frown. I was smirking internally, knowing that the problem was caused by an inability to hear her thoughts.

I, of course, had known exactly who she was from the minute we entered the school. I'd been waiting for her for months now. We'd only moved to Forks six months ago, delayed for almost two years by a staffing emergency at Carlisle's last hospital. What did it matter though? We were vampires, and we had all eternity to roam the world. I was comfortable in the knowledge that she would not arrive until we did, so truly, there was nothing to worry about.

But worry I had, it was inexplicable. I knew the future, knew that she would arrive and they would fall in love and everything would be perfect. I knew that.

So, why was I uneasy?

I think it had something to do with the fact that I didn't see this future until a day before she arrived. I knew she was coming, eventually, but I think it was a snap decision on Bella's behalf, a sudden realization that she was keeping her mother from the most important time of her new marriage. So here Bella was, enrolled in a new school only a day later.

Looking over at our favourite enigma, I noticed she had been engaged by Jessica Stanley, and they seemed to be discussing us. I could hear all of their conversation (thank goodness for extra sensitive hearing):

"…And those are the computer nerds and geeks, don't go over there unless you want to be bored to tears by their one-track minds and conversation. And then, we have…" She pointed to our table, "The Cullens. They're gorgeous, of course, but completely unapproachable. Don't even bother. The biggest, that's Emmett, the blonde who looks like a movie star? That's Jasper. And beside him is Edward, he's our age but he doesn't date."

Bella giggled, looking slyly at Edward, who looked quickly away:

"Any man that looks like _that_ has to be lacking in the mind."

Jessica looked at her in horror. Angela turned to stare at the newest addition to their table, then burst out laughing, "Well, don't tell him that. Don't tell anyone else, but I think he prides himself on the fact that half the girls here are in love with him."

Angela walked Bella to her next class, Biology with Mr Banner. And with Edward. Our newest addition stood anxiously at the front of the classroom, staring at her feet with that same blush still plastered to her cheeks, waiting for the teacher to arrive. (I couldn't wait to see the look on Edward's face again).

Mr Banner was kind to Bella, handing her a textbook and some information sheets before sending her to the only empty seat in the classroom. You know where it was, of course. Edward was already at the desk, aligned perfectly with his designated seating space. Bella tripped halfway down the aisle, just in front of the desk, stopped from making a complete idiot of herself by one flung out hand which just managed to catch the edge of the black-topped desk.

Edward looked at her in semi-horror, but smiled cordially as she took her seat.

"Hello. Welcome to Forks, my name is Edward Cullen."

"Isabella – Bella – Swan. Pleased to meet you, Edward."

Bella snickered a little bit, and Edward tried desperately to hide his frustration.

"So, '_any man that looks like _that_ has to be lacking in the mind'_ – Classic line, Bella. I hope to prove to you that it is anything but true, in time."

Bella blushed deeper red, finding it hard to meet the eyes she always finds so entrancing. "Sorry…" she mumbled, hanging her head a little. One slender hand of his reached out and cupped her under the chin, forcing her to look at him. She melted, but only a little.

"Don't be embarrassed. It _was_ very amusing. I just hope I can prove to you that I have some intelligence," he sighed theatrically, "it's just _so_ hard to be beautiful these days, as you would know."

If I didn't know Bella so well, I would have thought it would be impossible for her to blush any redder, so it was a good thing I knew that her blushes had no limits.

"Um, thank you?" she asked, her fingers fumbling with the zipper on her school bag as she tried to take out her books and stationary for the lesson.

"Here, let me." He opened it with one swift tug, giving her that same crooked smile she loves so much. She smiled back at him, and I could see her melting further, finally falling into their connection.

Her chair tipped and almost fell, caught only by one swift hand. Edward's, of course.

And with that second touch, he fell too.

* * *

As you can see, it doesn't take much for these two to fall in love. One touch, one blush, one single crooked smile, and both of them are gone, head over heels for the other.

I can hardly talk though, it was the same for every future I saw for myself and Jasper, and for Rosalie and Emmett, and Esme and Carlisle (even though I saw them falling for each other before I knew what a vampire was – but shh, I'm not supposed to remember my human life). There's just something about our loves that brings Destiny in off the sidelines, pulling her into a serious set of plays (well, you can't hang around with Emmett before some of the sports talk wears off).

Where was I? Oh, right, the inevitability of them. The inevitability of all of us. We're just, meant to be. If we'd been born a thousand years before, you might even call us the original fairytales. This is why Edward shouldn't be arguing against me when it comes to Bella being changed. Nothing he can do, nothing he has done, whether it be leaving her, or letting her speak to that Dog, can prevent her from becoming one of us.

She's just a lot closer now than she ever was before. Agreeing to marry him has well as truly cemented it. And that's perfect, just the way it should be.

Forever - that's all she's ever asked for. And all she's going to get.

* * *

_Hi everyone, _

_Hope you enjoyed installment 3. I know installment 2 wasn't as good as number one, and i'm sorry. But I hope this chapter more than made up for it. : ) feel free to tell me if it didn't : P_

_I don't know about you, but I love writing as Alice - she's so much fun! (methinks I'm channeling a little of her craziness now - time to get off that means)_

_Thanks for your lovely review,  
xx Usa  
_


	4. Fate

* * *

**Fate.**

* * *

Sometimes Destiny failed.

No, not in that way! What have I just been telling you?

Edward and Bella **always** end up together, no matter what else happens.

No, what I meant was that sometimes Fate miscalculates, she moves too soon, too late. She always moves, at least for them, she always makes sure they're together. But Fate has duties other than my brother and sister, so sometimes she gets distracted.

Funnily enough, this was one of the times when she moved too soon, rather than too late. You see, I'm of the understanding that the normal Fate went on holidays (I know, bizarre thing to do right, especially when you're an immortal demi-god), and that she was replaced by trainee Fate. Now, from what I've discovered of this interim Fate, she wasn't exactly the brightest bulb in the chandelier. That's not to say she didn't know how to do her job, oh no, she was very talented, but she was very, um, enthusiastic.

Whoops, sorry, I'm rambling again. Did you know I never did that so much before I started telling you about Bella and Edward? But that isn't the point, my point is that Trainee Fate got it wrong, with some fairly amusing consequences, at least from my point of view.

* * *

**1993**

* * *

This Bella would admit to me, many years later, that she could hardly remember a time in her life when Edward wasn't there. I knew that wasn't exactly accurate, but I understood what she meant – Edward was a part of every big event in her life, every single event that caused her mind to make a fully detailed memory. I would admit to her, in turn, that this reality was by far the most amusing one in which I had seen her and Edward falling in love.

And no, I did _not_ tell her that I have seen them together in _every_ possible reality, because then Edward would scold me for telling her things that were unnecessary – that boy was constantly reminding me that this was the one reality they had, so why tease them with 'What-ifs'?

I would, as always, retort that he can hardly escape them while he insists on listening to my thoughts, which of course includes my visions.

But, once again, I digress from the main narrative. Sorry about that, but you'll just have to get used to it, its how my mind works – why do you think I love shopping so much? It's all about flitting from one store to another, from one rack to the next, perfect for my personality. Plus, it makes me, Esme and Bella, look good. Rosalie and the boys won't let me dress them, though I don't know why!

Whoops, sorry, there I go again.

Well, Bella and Edward met at her sixth birthday party in Forks, in one of the rare realities where Charlie and Renee worked out their differences and stayed madly in love. Unfortunately, the love of Bella's parents was doomed in almost all of the others, and its always caused by a fatal inability to compromise (I don't know if you've noticed, but both of her parents are incredibly stubborn – where do you think she gets it from? But don't tell her I said that… or Edward for that matter, I like my wardrobe the way it is).

It was one of those rare sunny days, a beautiful autumn day where the clouds just seemed to part at the right time, allowing the watery sunshine through. Bella could not have been more delighted, and had been running around their backyard all day in anticipation of her party. Three long, miniature (well, child-sized) tables were set up and covered with piles of rainbow confetti, tiny chairs seated haphazardly before neat table-settings. There were pitchers of cordials and soft-drinks, which, Carlisle assures me, were, most likely, the original cause of the madness which would ensue later that afternoon.

Bella had decorated, with help from Charlie, the largest tree in the yard, which was, coincidently, the tree that Police Chief Swan would choose to build a tree-house in for her very next birthday. Needless to say, the poor tree ended up looking like a giant streamer monster had thrown up on it. I'll admit that the large horse-shaped piñata, complete with prince-in-shining-armour figurine, swinging from its lowest branch was gorgeous though, made by Renee with her kindergarten class.

Our Birthday Girl was, as almost all six year old girls do on their birthdays, dressed as a Disney Princess. This year Bella had chosen Belle, from Beauty and the Beast, to emulate, and was almost constantly swishing her long yellow skirts in utter delight. I will tell you now, I have rarely seen a child as happy with the world as that Bella, though I will admit that I have not really seen a lot of children at that age. Her long brown hair had been arranged by her mother, and the darling little girl even held one red, long-stemmed rose.

So, as you can see, the stage was appropriately set for disaster.

Now, Renee had invited their newest neighbours from down the street, the Masens, to Bella's birthday party, with the intention of welcoming them to the neighbourhood and introducing them to other parents with small children the same age as theirs. Edward was only three months older than Bella, in this reality (as he is in every reality where they are both human at the same time), and had been pulled forcefully, and unhappily, from the SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System, for all of you without the Y chromosome) game he had been playing.

You would think, that with a suitably clumsy princess Bella, and a screaming, protesting already-six-year-old, they would get along fine when they first met. And with Bella and Edward, you would, strangely enough, be correct.

(You know, it's a very good thing Edward has gone hunting, otherwise I suspect he would be forcing me to change the wording of a few things, but no matter – I tell things as I saw them).

Bella was sitting happily on the steps of the front-porch, waiting for her first guests, when the complaining Edward was dragged up the path by his parents. Bella, whose parents had been very effective in teaching her the appropriate manners for greeting guests, stood and politely introduced herself to Mr. and Mrs. Masen, opening her front door for them and leading them through to the backyard. Edward, however, had decided he would not move from the wooden slats of the porch into the hallway, and Bella had decided she would try to convince him otherwise.

So, our little brunette raced through the hallway, attempting to stop just before the doorway. But you all know that Bella's ability to remain in the upright position is somewhat… compromised, to say the least. The next thing she knew, Bella was half crumpled on the ground, bemoaning yet another bruised knee, with a strange, bronze-haired boy standing above her.

"Do you… need any help?" Edward was hesitant to offer his assistance, the skin above his green eyes creased in confusion as to why the girl had fallen. There wasn't anything he could see that would cause her to fall.

Bella just reached up a hand, which he instinctively took, using his arm to pull herself up off the floorboards.

"Thanks and, um, sorry about that. My name's Bella, what's yours?"

"Hello, my name's Edward, Edward Masen. We just moved in down the street a few days ago. Mum said to tell you Happy Birthday."

Bella nodded and, using the arm she hadn't let go of yet, towed him out into the backyard where their parents were waiting. Renee and Elizabeth coo-ed and clamoured over just how cute the two of them looked together, and it was only then that Bella realised that Edward was dressed as a prince, making them appear like the happily-ever-after of a fairytale. Bella had almost forgotten that she had specified that this would be a costume party, with a Disney theme. Falling in the hallway, for the third time that day, could be distracting like that.

Bella had little time to notice much else though, because at that moment a tiny Jessica Stanley came through the door, clutching onto a protesting Mike, dressed as Jasmine and Aladdin. Bella went to greet them, leaving Edward with the parents, and discovered almost all of her friends standing behind Mike, she blushed and gestured to the garden, smiling nervously.

* * *

The party went off well for the first hour, and Renee managed to keep them all under control for that long, but then the red lollies and soft-drink kicked in, and the children all went a little… wild. Trying to distract them, she announced it was time for the piñata, handing Bella a baseball bat while she tied the blindfold around her eyes.

Now, let me say, you all know that even at the best of times, Bella is a little… gravity-challenged. So, when her mother span her three times before pointing her towards the paper-maché horse, havoc could only ensue.

Bella swung with all her might, aiming at what she thought was the horse, she hit it, whatever it was, with a great amount of strength, especially for a six year old. She stumbled a little, still dizzy from being spun, and fell against a table, landing hard on something soft… something soft, and squishy.

Our heroine and birthday girl was, however, still blindfolded, and could not see what she had done. Choosing instead to fall to the ground, pouting a little. She could, however, hear the shrieking and yelping that was coming from an area somewhere to her right.

You see, what Bella had hit was indeed not the piñata, it was a large basketball that Eric had thrown at the same time Bella swung. Now he hadn't intended to throw it in her direction, but he had tripped and sent it flying towards Bella, whose bat had made contact and sent it across the yard.

The orange ball ricocheted off the fence and onto the table, spilling everything which had been sitting so peacefully before. In fact, it even managed to knock over a few chairs.

Bella, in the meantime, had stumbled towards the one table left unharmed by the rogue ball, and landed right in the middle of her cake. She lifted off her blindfold slowly, gingerly, afraid to see what she had landed in. When she realised what it was, her lower lip quivered and her eyes filled with tears, she had helped her Mom bake this cake, she had added the decorations and made it all pretty, and now it was destroyed, all because of her clumsiness!

The rest of the party was looking on in shock, drenched in the red liquid which had been thrown from the table, the basketball at Mike's feet. Staring back at them, Bella began to giggle, realising what had happened.

Edward crawled over to her as though he were a soldier in a battlefield, even doing a few commando roles before reaching her (oh, and don't worry, the me of that reality teases him endlessly about that) and plonking himself down next to her.

"So, that was fun, wasn't it Bella?"

Her response?

I personally think its very obvious, but I'll tell you anyway.

She smeared his face in the chocolate cake which was previously coating her hair.

* * *

It didn't surprise anyone when Bella and Edward started dating in their Junior year, in fact, most people thought it would be sooner, but Edward was just so arrogant sometimes.

And stubborn, don't forget stubborn.

It was cute, seeing Bella become _that_ girl, the one who gets married straight out of high school to her small town, long term boyfriend. Clearly, I much preferred this choice of husband to that werewolf friend of hers (who, by the way, always happens to imprint on the same girl after Bella rejects him, I'd tell you who she was, but that'd just ruin the fun).

The only thing I was disappointed about? I didn't get to plan their wedding, nor was I or any of our family present. Bella and Edward wouldn't get into their car accident until two years later, at the age of twenty.

Carlisle said that if he slept, he would have nightmares about the wreckage he found them in. He was driving to work when he discovered Bella's trusty red truck wrapped around a pole, almost killing them both instantly.

He said he had a moment of doubt before biting them both. He brought them to our property on the edge of Forks and left them with us to take care of, while he covered up the evidence of their crash, throwing their car into the deepest part Calawah River.

We had to leave Forks, but that was a small price to pay for _finally_ getting the brother and sister I had been telling Jasper would be coming for the whole twenty years of their lives.

It would be easy enough to tell you we lived happily ever after.

It would be true, too.

Silly Trainee Fate, they weren't suppose to meet that young. But the Alice of that reality wasn't complaining, she had everything she wanted, right there. And I? I found it all rather amusing, really.

* * *

_Hey everyone,_

_Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I know its a little different but I thought "What about them meeting as kids?" and I could just SEE them doing something completely crazy. So this is the product of my mad, 1.30am mind. (Okay, I started it earlier than that, but heck). I'm loving your reviews, you're all such sweethearts. Hope this one is up to your standards._

_xx Usa  
_


	5. Choices

* * *

**Choices****

* * *

**

There was always an impediment to their relationship, but that never stopped them in the end, Bella and Edward were like Romeo and Juliet without the tragic ending. I always wondered what Shakespeare's famous romance-tragedy would have been like if he were basing it off my siblings. It wouldn't have the sad ending, to be sure, but I like to think it would be much more romantic: Edward is a hopeless romantic after-all. I think that's a result of his conservative upbringing and the amount of time he spent with his mother as an only child.

Bella often compares them to Romeo and Juliet, I can tell, and no matter how many times I've tried to reassure her that their story always has a happy ending, she never seems to believe me. I wish my brother would just get over himself and turn her already! I know, I know, they have a deal, but my name isn't Alice if he's not thinking of any and every way to keep her human.

So, I'm sure you remember me telling you that she isn't always human when they meet, that sometimes they actually begin their romance on an even level. There are actually a few of those, though they aren't as frequent as the ones where Bella is human.

This one is special though, because if things had only been a little bit different, just one choice really, and when it comes down to that, it wasn't even one I had any influence over. For a while it was even the most likely reality, and it was the one, next to what really happened, that I saw the most detail of.

* * *

**January 17****th****, 2005**

* * *

It was Bella's first day in Forks, she had arrived only hours earlier to a familiar sight – the dreary, raining town and the bedroom with the yellowing lace curtains. It wasn't home so much as a familiar place of existence, and it never changed, especially when Charlie was so unwilling to let go of his former life. Instead of locking herself in her room, Bella chose to take her new-old cherry red truck for a drive, escaping the overwhelming repression that the small house exuded. 

Nothing ever changed here! Just once she wanted her father to admit that her mother wasn't coming back, for it to stop raining, for the sun to show, just once. Was that really so much to ask? But this place was caught in time as much as I was caught by the numerous possibilities which made up life, which was why it was so easy for my family to come back here, even after seventy years jumping around the country.

So Bella drove, it didn't take her long to leave town. Hardly ten minutes til she was surrounded by empty roads and tall pine forests, the greyness oppressively overwhelming for a girl so used to sunshine and heat. She took a half hidden side road and pulled over onto the shoulder, turning the car off and climbing out of the cab, standing as light rain dampened her brown hair, darkening it. That didn't stop her though, and she continued walking into the forbidding forest, its canopy shielding the mast from any light.

She knew that she would get lost, though she didn't seem to care, Bella just kept moving further and further into the forest, losing sight of any path. She wasn't crying, and she didn't seem distressed, just calm, detached. I think she knew Charlie was worried, but that didn't seem to faze her, like it wasn't important anymore.

I saw her come out into a clearing, a small one, not at all like the one Edward was so fond of, it was darker, and had longer grass. She stopped and sat down beside a large tree, one of the few areas where the grass wasn't waist high, her back resting gingerly against the trunk and her hands shielding her face. Bella would have looked peaceful, had I not known how she was truly feeling.

I know Bella didn't hear it because she didn't move, but my ears were more finely tuned to small details and I had seen this before. My eyes flickered to a small crack in the trees, not needing to look behind me to know that Bella had turned her face up to the weakly emerging sun. Thus distracted Bella had no chance at escaping the vampire, not that she would have in any case, she didn't even notice him til his arms were around her waist and his lips at her throat, drinking greedily.

Fortunately, the me of this reality had acted quickly: Carlisle arrived in time to prevent her dying from loss of blood. He pulled the vampire off her, ripping him to shreds. James had no chance when it came to an enraged Carlisle, especially an enraged Carlisle who was not affected by the smell of Bella's blood like James was. My blonde father coolly ignited the shreds and turned back to Bella, working quickly to stop the blood flow.

I was shocked to hear my father swear, I was certain she had not lost so much blood as he couldn't save her. Oh. But Carlisle didn't like to change anyone unless he had to. I watched as he bit her twice more, once on her wrist and once on the pale skin above her heart, before picking her up and slinging her over his shoulder.

* * *

It was needless to describe his fast run to our half-abandoned house in Forks, where Esme and Rosalie waited patiently to assist Carlisle. There were many times that my visions helped, but in this kind of situation they were invaluable. I had never been so glad in my life that Rose was so staunch in her desire not to drink human blood. 

The next three days were torturous for Bella, especially since she had absolutely no idea why she was in this insurmountable amount of pain, or who these people were that were trying to calm her down. Her eyes were tear-glazed, her throat ruthlessly abused by the screams which continued to tear from her throat, arms and legs trying to find something, anything, to make this terrible pain go away. My family could do nothing but put her in loose fitting clothing and place damp-cloths on her fever-stricken skin, the venom slowly working its way through every molecule of her body with each heart beat.

Slowly, terribly, Bella became one of us.

She awoke to a body that did not feel like her own, and a horrified realisation that she was not who she had been. The unyielding thirst clawed at the back of her throat and fought with her rising terror.

"C… Charlie?" Bella's voice was perfect, crystal clear, showing no signs of the days of torment it had experienced, "Where am I? Who are you?" Her bright crimson eyes were wild, searching the room for an answer that none of my family could truly give her. "What have you done to me?"

"Isabella?" Carlisle asked as he walked slowly towards her, "There was an unfortunate accident," he paused, watching her reaction as she took in his words, "you were injured grievously. Do you remember the strong man who drank your blood?"

"Yes, you pulled him off me. Was he some kind of…" she frowned, searching her memory banks furiously, "vampire?"

My parents and sister nodded, "Bella, he changed you when he bit you, that's what caused all the pain you've been experiencing these last few days. I'm very sorry to say that you will not be able to go back to your former life."

Bella's pale face grew panic-stricken, her blood-red eyes wide and frightened, "What do you mean? I have to go back, Mom can't live without me, she doesn't know how to cope! And Charlie! There's nothing in his cupboards, no food, only memories of my Mom and me… I can't leave them!" Her hands gripped the arm of the couch she had been placed on when she was close to awakening, tightening and cracking the wood. She looked at the chair in horror before staring at her hand intently.

"I'm afraid that is why you cannot see them again, Bella. That and the unquenchable thirst for blood, human blood. If you were to see them now, in this state, you would surely kill them before you know what else had happened." Carlisle looked at her mournfully, "Please believe me when I say I did not want this future for you."

* * *

Bella did not cope well with her loss of humanity, though she fought valiantly with her desire for human blood, masking it with the bitter taste of animal blood every day. The life of a new born vampire is not easy. Their thirst is greater at this time, and will slowly diminish with increased control, but control takes time to learn and Bella had no choice but to drink litre after litre of blood. 

She spent much time locked away in the library or in her room, thinking about goodness knows what. I suspect it was thoughts of everything she had lost though. Her mother, her father, her humanity and her life. She hadn't really even had a chance to live it properly and now she was this, this abominable creature which wore the face of a human. I didn't truly understand her grief, since I had never known anything but this, but I knew Edward would, and I knew Jasper, Carlisle, Esme, Emmett and Rosalie especially would.

Emmett, Edward and I arrived a few days after Bella's transformation after tying up the loose ends from our former home in Rochester, NY. We left the house with all our belongings covered in white sheets, circulated a story that Esme wished for a town with a beach and that Carlisle just couldn't say no, and followed them to Forks. We all knew that we could not stay in Forks for long – while Bella had changed, she was not so different from her former self.

Bella had been given a room on the third floor, at the opposite end of the hallway from Edward, temporarily of course. I knew we would have to spend some time in Denali, a few years at least, before we could return to the United States. Charlie refused to believe she was dead, even though he himself found the mangled car with the body that was so clearly Bella's. I never wished that upon him, but Rosalie had no choice under the circumstances.

We walked in through the familiar front door to find Carlisle and Esme lying on the couch, simply curled up in each others arms, it was a familiar sight in our household, especially when none of us could sleep. Rosalie threw herself down the stairs when she heard our arrival and stood waiting at the foot of the stairs, tapping on hand against the banister, counting the time it took for Emmett to go and say 'hi'. It wasn't long, I'll tell you that.

That version of me didn't take very long to prise Rosalie from her husbands arms and enquire after Bella. Rosalie sounded concerned: "She isn't dealing with this very well. Think of Edward on a bad day, then double it."

"I heard that! And I heard the little addition!" Edward called from the living room where he was talking to Carlisle and Esme, "And you know what, I think its best if I go talk to her. No Alice, I didn't just take that straight from your head, I've been planning it all along, as you ought well know."

I find it hard not to smirk when he says things like that. When it comes to the big things, does he really think he has any say in what he does? Of course not, I'm very good at manipulating these things for the good of our family. That's not to say I don't do what's right, of course not! Very often what's right and what's good for my family coincide, so it isn't often that I have to make an immoral decision. Mostly I leave that to Edward.

I saw Edward walk up the staircase, and the few small footsteps it took to get to her door. He knocked politely, ever the gentleman, and entered when she absently assented.

I smirked.

It was hard not to, especially when I heard her gasp. It certainly helped having a front-row seat as well.

She had been reading one of her favourites, "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen, and had was nearly at the end of the book, sighing happily as Mr Darcy proposed for the second time. She refused to look up from her page until the chapter was finished, and did so, her improved senses allowing her to finish much faster than before. She looked up to find Edward, and gasped slightly. I'm sure she would have blushed, were she still human, and as it was a small tinge of colour came to her cheeks, a result of the residue blood still left in her system.

Edward smiled kindly from the doorway, "Hello, my name is Edward Cullen. I'm another of Carlisle and Esme's 'children', I'm sure Esme has told you all about us. It's very nice to meet you Isabella."

She was transfixed, I could see it in her strange crimson eyes, but pleased that he was not shocked by her strange new appearance. "Hello. It's very nice to meet you too, Edward. Please, call me Bella, Isabella is too formal." She stood and moved so she was standing before him.

He smiled that crooked smile that she loves so much, and took her hand, placing a soft kiss on her palm. "Welcome to our family, I'm sure you'll find us to your liking."

"You know what, I'm sure I will."

The Alice of this reality mentally urged Edward to go ahead, indulge his desire, she promises nothing bad will happen. He frowned slightly, before shrugging - nobody bets against Alice.

He smiled, leant down, and kissed her, revelling in the soft touch of her lips beneath his and the overwhelmingly delighted response he received in return for his forward behaviour.

"_Remind me to thank Alice…"_

You didn't need to be a seer or a mind-reader to know what he was thinking.

* * *

See, look at that, one small choice and everything would have been different. Well, two choices really – James's and Bella's. If she hadn't gone for that drive nothing would have changed, as proven by our true reality. 

But really, would I want things any other way? Only if I could pick and choose from each of the realities to make the best possible one. But I know that our choices have consequences beyond just my family, far-reaching ones which affect the lives of people we barely know.

Take this possibility, for example – James's inability to control his thirst caused Renee and Charlie to loose a daughter, caused Jacob to loose a friend he would barely know existed. It had some good effects, of course, but they were a long way down the road for Bella's parents. The only really benefit to this reality was that we didn't experience that awful werewolf saga, or the "should-I-or-shouldn't-I-turn-her?" debate.

Because there are four things that never change – Bella and Edward, Jasper and myself, Carlisle and Esme, and Rosalie and Emmett. Because luck always turns out for the best, when it comes to our family.

* * *

_Hey everyone,_

_well lookee here, I somewhat kept a promise. I hope you enjoyed it, I've loved all your fabulous reviews (they make me feel v. good about my writing :D). I won't be writing another chapter for at least a week (just three more exams and I'm all done forever, so forgive me for the torturous wait between now and the next chapter).. but I promise after exams everything will be being worked on. Including fics you thought were dead (Possession, To Save Her, Inversion).. So I can't wait for that._

_TehNymphSavage - sorry I haven't gotten back to your PM yet, but I figured you would prefer another chapter to my longwinded ramblings about the deeper meaning of Alice's gift. Hope you enjoyed_

_See you all next time, xx Usa _


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